“Thank you,” he whispered, kissing her lips tenderly.
They were actually married. She found herself being taken into her husband’s arms and kissed with such aching tenderness, she knew in her heart that she had made the right decision.
* * * *
The rest of the afternoon was a blur of activity and picture taking. The bride and groom, along with their guests, dined at the town’s most elegant restaurant, and spent the afternoon laughing and sharing their happiness. By eight o’clock, Roy could see the strain on Paulette’s face and called a halt to the activities.
“You take good care of her and treat her right, Sam,” Roy told his friend seriously, a lump of emotion filling his throat as he looked at his cousin.
“I will,” Sam promised, shaking his best friend’s hand. Pulling Roy toward him, he hugged his best friend tightly, laughing softly as Roy’s arms tightened around him before they released each other.
“Sam, you’ve always been a part of our family,” Kay Monroe told him seriously, love evident in her voice. “We’re glad that you’ve finally made it official.”
“Thanks, Kay,” Sam answered, genuinely touched by her words. “I am, too.”
Sam turned and smiled as Rachel walked toward him with Paulette. Stan and Gwen were close behind them. His heart beat faster at the realization that she was now his wife.
“Ready to go home?” he asked her, drawing her to him and placing his arm around her shoulders to hug her gently.
Rachel smiled as she looked up at him. Sam had suggested that they spend their first night together at an elegant hotel but Rachel had declined. She had come to know the camper as home just as Sam had, and she found herself wanting to be there right now.
“I’m ready.” Turning, she hugged Paulette, Roy, Jarod, and her aunt tightly. “Thank you for everything,” she told them gratefully.
“Be happy, Rachel,” Paulette whispered to her before turning to take hold of her husband’s hand and walk slowly away from the restaurant.
Rachel watched them silently and smiled. She was so lucky to have such wonderful people as family. They had been kind to her and had supported her through so much in her life. She turned and saw that Stan was shaking Sam’s hand.
“You made the right decision, my boy,” Stan told him seriously. “I’m glad for you both.”
“Me, too,” Sam told him happily.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” Rachel told them both.
Gwen turned and encircled Rachel within her arms. “Thank you for letting us share in this beautiful day with you,” she told her quietly, tears in her eyes as she spoke. She leaned her cheek against Rachel’s. “I told you it would all work out. Love him always, honey. He’ll do the same to you. I believe it with all my heart.”
Rachel nodded and leaned back to smile down at her. “I will. Thank you, Gwen,” Rachel promised, kissing Gwen’s cheek. “I would never have been able to stay with him if you hadn’t helped me sort through my feelings.”
Gwen smiled and hugged her one last time before letting her go. Stan stepped forward to hug her tightly and kiss her cheek lightly. Gwen leaned up to kiss Sam’s cheek quickly before turning to leave, the tears falling unchecked down her face. Stan took his wife’s hand and walked away, not trusting himself to speak.
Sam watched them leave then faced Rachel and smiled at her. “Let’s go home, wife,” he said quietly.
His voice was soft but filled with emotion. Taking her hand in his and tucking it securely within the crook of his arm, he led her through the arched doorway. They walked from the restaurant and stood beside his truck for a moment while Sam fumbled with his keys. Rachel smiled at his nervousness and reached out to cover his hand with her own.
“Don’t be nervous. I’ll be gentle,” she teased him.
Sam looked up at her in surprise then laughed at her words. Stepping toward her, he embraced her gently and drew her toward him to kiss her tenderly. Rachel held on to his arms, loving every minute of the kiss. When he pulled back from her, his eyes were clouded with passion.
“So will I,” he promised, his voice husky.
The ride back to the campground seemed endless to Sam. He couldn’t wait to be in the privacy of his camper and hold Rachel in his arms.
When they pulled into the dirt road of the campground, Rachel found it difficult to catch her breath. She loved Sam so much. The decision to marry him had been the only one she could have made. Her future would be nothing without him. Despite the surety of her decision, she found herself aching as she worried that he didn’t feel the same way.
All thoughts left her as her door was suddenly opened and Sam was reaching in to lift her into his arms. She placed her arms around his neck and leaned her head against his chest, pushing aside her fears. She was determined to accept the beauty of his gentleness and caring. Nothing mattered except that they were together and had committed themselves to each other.
He stood in front of the camper door and hesitated. Rachel reached out and unlocked it with Sam’s key. She turned the handle of the camper door and pulled it open, allowing him to carry her up and over the threshold to stand in the center of the camper.
He looked down at her and slowly lowered her to the floor. He took the bouquet from her hand and carefully set it on the table, his eyes never leaving hers. Very slowly, he reached up, framed her face with his hands, and leaned forward to kiss her with exquisite gentleness. When his lips pulled away from hers, he found himself not wanting to leave her for the few seconds it would take him to retrieve her suitcase from the truck.
“I’ll be right back,” he whispered, leaving her reluctantly.
Rachel watched him go and smiled. Sam’s kiss nourished her love and gave her courage. His tenderness nearly made her heart stop beating. Every touch, every glance, and every caress spoke of his caring.
She reached out to light the lantern that was set on the table and lowered the flame until only a soft glow illuminated the camper. She turned to face the bed that they would share and smiled when she saw that the blankets were already turned back, waiting for their return.
Sam re-entered the camper and placed the small suitcase on the floor next to the table. He turned and closed the camper door behind him and locked it securely.
Rachel found that her heart was pounding in anticipation as Sam walked the two steps to stand in front of her. When he placed his arms around her and drew her close to him, her arms went around his neck immediately. She kissed him gently then nuzzled the side of his neck as she cuddled into his embrace. The groan of pleasure that escaped his lips made her smile.
He reached up to touch her chin and turn her face up toward his then brought his lips down to meet hers. The kiss was gentle and coaxing, and Rachel responded to it without hesitation. Her arms surrounded his waist, and she couldn’t seem to get close enough to him as the kiss continued, their lips gently meeting and teasing.
Sam groaned and pulled her slowly toward his body. He kissed her thoroughly, his tongue probing her mouth deeply, unable to hold back his passion any longer.
Rachel held him tightly to her as she opened her mouth to his and met his tongue with her own, passion and desire driving her need to get as close to him as possible. Touching him and loving him was all she could think about. She wanted him fiercely.
Sam could barely contain the joy that he felt at her response. He pulled back reluctantly and looked down at her, relieved to see only happiness and excitement on her face.
“Are you happy, wife?” he asked her quietly, reaching up to remove the baby’s breath from her hair.
“Very, husband,” she whispered, gasping with excitement when his hands reached around her to slowly unbutton the long row of buttons at the back of her dress.
She smiled as he pulled the dress from her body gently, slowly. Seeing her undressed before him a little at a time was the sexiest damned thing ever. Rachel slipped off her white satin pumps and lifted her legs to carefully step out of the dress. Sam placed it reverently on the opposite bed and turned his attention back to her. Leaning down, he placed a soft kiss on each breast just above the material of the strapless white lace bra that she was wearing.
Rachel threaded her fingers into the thick softness of his black hair and held his head tenderly, arching her body toward his mouth. He rubbed his thumbs across the sides of her breasts as he straightened to look down at her with such tenderness in his eyes, her heart melted at the sight of him. Her hands left the silkiness of his hair to slide into his jacket, running her palms across the taut muscles of his shoulders to travel down his arms as she slid the formal coat from his body.
“Just a minute,” Sam stopped her, taking the coat from her before it landed on the camper floor to retrieve the papers from the inside pocket. Tossing the jacket next to Rachel’s dress, he smiled at her and took a quick kiss before leaning back and touching her cheek tenderly.
“I want these kept in a safe place,” he said as he showed her the legal documents that proved that they were married. He looked around for a safe place to store them and decided to place them in her laptop case that was still on the bench seat beside the table.
He turned to face her and reached up to remove his Ascot tie, throwing it onto the table. His cummerbund and shirt quickly followed. Rachel reached out to caress his incredible chest and run her hands down his shoulders, sighing at the muscles that bulged in his arms. The pure beauty and strength of him excited her beyond comprehension.
Sam kissed her gently, reaching to slide her slip from her hips to let it fall into a heap at her feet. He reached behind her to unhook her bra, pulling the lacy undergarment from her body and letting it fall to the floor unheeded as his hands reached up to cover her full breasts and caress them tenderly. He slowly circled his thumbs around her nipples, raising them to hardened peaks. Bending forward, he took one into his mouth to suck on it tenderly. When Rachel gasped in pleasure, he smiled and suckled at the other breast before raising his mouth to her lips and kissing her hungrily.
“Rachel,” he whispered between kisses. “You make me crazy with wanting you.”
Rachel tugged at his T-shirt, and he raised his arms to allow her to pull it from his body. She leaned forward to kiss his biceps, growling softly at the pure sexiness of him. She loved how his breathing grew ragged as she kissed her way to his chest, finding his nipples and licking at them and sucking on them lightly. She smiled at the gasp that escaped him and continued to kiss the well-defined muscles of his chest, biting down on his pectoral muscle lightly.
He pulled her to him tightly, gasping in excitement as her naked chest touched his. Reaching down, he slid his hands into the back of her panties and pantyhose and drew them down across her hips. He knelt before her to slowly draw them down her long legs, watching her with a soft smile on his face as she lifted each foot to allow him to remove them.
His soft black hair tickled her stomach as he knelt before her and he leaned forward to kiss her intimately. Rachel gasped at the contact, her knees nearly buckling as his mouth did wicked things to her. His tongue played with her clit, circling it repeatedly before pressing against it with just the right amount of pressure. Pulses of pleasure raced through her. He drew the swollen bud into his mouth and sucked on it while flicking at it with the tip of his tongue. She thought she was going to explode.
When he slipped his hand between her legs and pressed his fingers deep into her pussy, she lost control of her body. Her legs lost their strength as her orgasm raced through her. She moaned as white sparkles of pleasure ignited behind her closed eyelids. The pressure of his fingers inside of her made her throb with the need to feel his cock deep inside of her.
“Sam,” she whispered. “Please stop.”
He stopped at once and looked up at her in concern. “What’s wrong, baby?”
“Nothing at all. It feels good. I just need to hold you. Please.”
She reached down and touched his shoulders to draw him up to stand before her. He looked down at her quietly, closing his eyes in pleasure as she reached forward and unfastened his pants, then reached around his back to slip her hand into the waistband of his clothes and push them down to drop them to the floor. He bent down to remove his shoes and socks and pushed aside the pile of clothing. He stood naked before her, his cock pointing hard and proud at her. The illumination of the lantern bathed their naked bodies in a soft glow. Sam watched her silently, wanting to take her in his arms to love her until she screamed with pleasure.
Rachel smiled at him silently then reached out and took his hand in hers. As they stood beside the bed she leaned forward to kiss him tenderly. She felt the warmth of his breath against her lips and smiled at the soft hum of pleasure that escaped him.
“Rachel,” he whispered, kissing her lightly and touching her face gently. “I need you like I need to breathe.”
Taking his hand from her face, she placed it on her breast and covered it with her own hand. Sam gently caressed her full breast, bending down to kiss it lightly. With each kiss, each touch, each movement Sam made, her excitement heightened with the anticipation of his next touch. She wanted him beyond reason.
She pulled him toward her, gently raking her nails across his back as he held her tightly against him. Her hands caressed his back, reveling in the strength of his body as she gently slid her hands over the well-formed muscles of his buttocks and pushed him intimately against her.